Florida's Best Courses for Vacation Golf

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Florida remains the premier warm weather vacation destination in the United States. Florida also has some wonderful golf courses to go with the miles and miles of coastline, sandy beaches and warm ocean. The following list compiles the best golf courses Florida has to offer the travelling golfer.

The Ocean Course is a Jack Nicklaus designed course along the beautiful Atlantic coast and the beautiful Hammock Beach Resort. Featuring a varied landscape of lakes, marshes, and coastline, the Ocean course has continually been ranked one of Florida's best courses. The so-called "Bear Claw," a play on Nicklaus' nickname of "Golden Bear," is a series of four holes directly on the coastline that finish off this remarkable course.

Palm Harbor's beautiful Innisbrook Resort is home to multiple quality courses, however, the Copperhead Course remains the best of the bunch. Home to the annual Valspar Championship, the Larry Packard designed course features rolling hills, tree lined fairways, and numerous water hazards. Many PGA Tour professionals routinely list Copperhead as one of their favorite courses of the season, remarking on the stunning layout and the demanding nature of the course. It is often labeled a course for purists, and it will prove a highlight for any golfer visiting Florida.

Originally designed by the legendary Tom Fazio only to then be updated by equally legendary Jack Nicklaus, the Champion course at the PGA National Resort is known as one of the most challenging courses in Florida. The course initially appears forgiving with its large greens and fairways, however, course management is necessary and rewards correct decision making. The course is home to the annual Honda Classic of the PGA Tour, and is notable for a series of three holes known as the "Bear Trap," which can largely make or break professionals and amateurs alike.

Another resort course with PGA Tour pedigree, the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral has hosted tournaments for over 55 years featuring the best golfers in the world. The course was designed by Gil Hanse and features 7,608 yards of fairways with rolling greens and numerous bunkers and water hazards. The Blue Monster demands both accurate approach shots and significant distance from golfers that will challenge any visitor to the resort. Golfers will especially enjoy the signature 18th hole with its scenic and strategic layout.

Pine Barrens often draws comparisons to the famous Pine Valley course in New Jersey because of its pine forest setting, use of the natural "waste" bunkers and drastic elevation changes. The striking natural beauty hits golfers immediately as they face the challenges of this course, as is how it differs from the many beach town courses found in Florida. This is a difficult course and can prove frustrating for higher handicappers, but will reward smart course management. If you have the time, be sure and play Wild Woods' other course Rolling Oaks that is a wonderful course in its own right.

Streamsong Resort is home to multiple amazing courses and the first one on our list is the simply named Red Course. Designed by Bill Moore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010, this is another course that uses the unusual natural sand dunes of the region to create a stunningly beautiful and unique layout. Holes often offer two different routes, a high risk/high reward option and a safer option allowing golfers of all abilities to enjoy this spectacular course.

The Blue course offers many of the same challenges of the Red course, but with even more volume. Created by designer Tom Doak, Blue is a course built to the natural geography. The course features many changes in elevations, native grasses, large natural sand dunes and ponds to provide both a visually appealing and challenging course. Golfers will enjoy that the course, routinely ranked amongst the world's top 100, is both playable and strategic. However, beware the tricky greens of this course; a good or bad day's putting could be the difference between glory and defeat.

The Champion course at Bay Hill Club and Lodge is a Tour caliber course designed by legendary golfer and owner (until his death in 2016) Arnold Palmer. It is known for its challenging design which forces players into critical decision making and rewards accuracy. It is also home to the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 14th and 17th holes, both long par-3s, stand out as make or break holes for amateurs and professionals alike. The beautiful scenery and challenging layout will provide an excellent round for any vacationing golfer.

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass plays host to the yearly Players Championship, a tournament that boasts the highest prize fund of any PGA Tour event. Sometimes referred to as the "fifth major," this course was designed specifically to host the event and can seat 36,000 spectators. The course was designed by Pete and Alice Dye to challenge golfers by providing a balanced course that incorporated all styles of course design. The Stadium Course is also home to the famous island green on the 17th hole, providing an opportunity for amateurs to try their had at one of golf's most difficult holes.

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